Pain Resistance in Mole-Rats
Naked mole-rats are weird. Native to East Africa, they live underground in highly ordered and hierarchical colonies with a single breeding queen, more like ants or termites than mammals. Some of their most striking physiological adaptations include an extraordinarily long lifespan (30+ years), apparent resistance to cancer, and resistance to extremely low levels of oxygen and high levels of carbon dioxide.
But it turns out naked mole-rats are not completely alone; they come from a family of weirdos. In my latest Animal Minds post, I discuss what researchers have discovered about pain insensitivity in naked mole-rats and some of their close relatives.
Read the story here: Pain Insensitivity in Mole-Rats.
Why are Some Wild Cats Black?
Black coloring is common in cats, from domestic kitties to leopards and jaguars. The persistence of this genetic trait in wild populations suggests it confers some advantage. But new research indicates it’s more of an evolutionary balancing act.
The occurrence of black coloring, also known as melanism, arises from a genetic mutation that regulates the production of the pigment melanin. These melanistic cats are the same species as their lighter-coated counterparts; it’s similar to the difference between brunettes and blondes.
Melanism has been documented in 14 out of the 40 wild species of cats. Scientists have suggested that melanism could be associated with factors such as camouflage, thermoregulation, and habitat use. Now, new research points to another factor: visual communication with other cats.
Read my latest Nat Geo news story: Is Being a Black Panther Beneficial? It Depends.
Goliath Frog Parenting
Researchers describe the first example of nest-building in an African amphibian, the Goliath frog, and suggest it's why they grow so gigantic.
Read my latest Animal Minds post: Giant Frogs are Attentive Parents.
Octopus Arms Have a Mind of Their Own
Octopuses and their relatives stand out from other invertebrates in terms of their cognitive complexity and the range of their behaviors. Despite their evolutionary distance from humans and other vertebrates, these animals can use tools, solve complex puzzles, recognize individual people, and explore objects through play. They do all this and more with a completely unique nervous system.
Read more at my Animal Minds blog: Octopus Arms Have a Mind of Their Own.
Emotional Mirror Neurons in Rats
Researchers from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience have demonstrated that specific neurons in the rat brain are active both when a rat experiences pain itself and when it observes another rat in pain. The results, published today in Current Biology, suggest that sharing the emotions of others is a common mammalian trait.
Read my article on the study here: Rats Feel One Another's Pain.